Amazon has confirmed it will occupy the former Jaguar Land Rover site - almost five months after the Telegraph revealed they were behind plans for a massive warehouse at the site.

However, the online retailer has said the 40,000 sq m warehouse on Coundon Wedge Drive will only result in 800 jobs - less than half of the 1,650 jobs it was promised would be delivered in the planning application approved in November.

Asked about the reduction, Amazon told the Telegraph: “The larger figure would cover the highest number at our busiest period, so Christmas when we would use seasonal temporary workers also.”

But there is no reference to seasonal workers in the original planning application to Coventry City Council, which simply states: “It is anticipated that the completed development will deliver in the order of 1,650 jobs in a range of positions.”

But council officers dismissed the concerns to recommend the plans were given approval and Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Labour’s cabinet member for jobs, spoke in defence of the plans stating: “By granting these plans you give nearly 2,000 young people a job in the city.

“I believe this is one of the most important planning applications that has come before this committee in the last ten years.”

The councillors on the planning committee subsequently voted six to three to approve the development.

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Stefano Perego, Amazon’s director of UK customer fulfilment, told the Telegraph: “We are delighted to announce we will begin recruiting later this year for more than 800 people in a range of new, full-time permanent roles for our building in Coventry, from operations managers and graduates to engineers, HR and IT specialists to warehouse operators.

“The new site will be our first dedicated receive centre in the UK and we look forward to collect applications from people interested in receiving competitive pay and comprehensive benefits from day one, working at Amazon.”

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Amazon has insisted none of the roles, temporary or permanent, will be on a zero hour contract basis.

The spokesman added: “All permanent employees receive competitive pay and are given stock grants, which over the last five years were on average equal to £1,000 or more per year per person.

“Employees are also offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount, which combined are worth more than £700 annually, as well as a company pension plan.

“Amazon also runs an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides employees funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95 per cent of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses, up to £8,000 over four years.”

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Cllr Glenn Williams, independent councillor for the Bablake ward where the warehouse is being built, strongly objected to the plans at the time of the application and said he was furious at the news there would be less than half of the jobs promised.

He said: “I’m furious and I know the residents will be too.

“The residents were not against jobs, they wanted quality jobs to help improve Coventry’s economy.”

He added: “We were told you can’t go against jobs, you can’t be seen to be voting against jobs. Now we’re told we’re getting less than half of what was promised.

“Either Amazon have gone back on their word or Cllr O’Boyle has been hoodwinked.

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Labour Cllr David Kershaw, who also represents Bablake, spoke out against the plans at the time permission was granted.

He said: “If Amazon reduce the jobs to 800, I’m deeply disappointed.

“It doesn’t give me a great deal of confidence in the integrity of Amazon given that at the planning meeting they made a great play of the fact there would be more than 1,500 employment opportunities.”

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